Management mesh: what it is, and the 5 types of leaders it describes

Also known as administrative network, The management grid is a tool used to describe leadership style.. It is also responsible for specifically identifying five leadership styles that mix different levels of concern for the task and for people.

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Dimensions of leadership in the management network

The management mesh model was created by Blake and Mouton (1969), who offered a schematic system through of which the attitudes towards the positions are shown in relation to the tasks to be performed and the people involved.

Their theory is based on the 9x9 Mesh for which they were in charge of creating a very objective way of graphically represent the two-dimensional view of leadership styles. Thus, for Blake and Mouton there are two basic dimensions of effective leadership.

On the one hand there is interest in people, that is, managers' concern for human relations, to satisfy reasons of the group's components, which are not necessarily related to the objectives of the organization, thereby obtaining considerable group cohesion.

The interest in production, on the other hand, is the degree to which managers care and are interested in achieving objectives.

These two dimensions are called people orientation and production orientation, respectively. These factors occur in all the people who lead, taking into account that each individual is unique and therefore they are combined in different proportions in each subject.

These dimensions are analogous to the "structure initiation" and "consideration" dimensions from previous Ohio studies. State University and with the typical traits of the "employee-centered" leaders formulated by the Michigan studies University.

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Blake and Mouton Steering Grille

These management styles described in the management grid can take 5 points as reference:

On the other hand, the leadership styles according to the management network are as follows.

1. Style 1.1: Impoverished

It is characterized by the minimum concern, both for the results and for the team members. It cannot properly be called management, since the manager has little influence on the company. configuration of the work/professional activity of their work group, nor in the relationships human.

Nor does it seek group cohesion. It follows the law of least effort, so it does not try to improve the efficiency of organizations or the well-being of workers. If complications arise, it goes away. It is present and absent at the same time.

2. Style 1.9: Country Club

In the upper left corner of the mesh is the “country club style”, which is characterized by great concern for people and little concern for production tasks. Managers who employ this style try to create a comfortable and safe environment. They also trust that their subordinates will respond with high performance.

The concern to meet the needs of social satisfaction leads to a friendly, although not necessarily productive, atmosphere and work pace.

3. Style 9.1: Produce or Perish

It represents an orientation of maximum intensity towards results and minimum towards people. Interests towards production are strongly emphasized.

The boss adopts the managerial function based on his hierarchical rank., while the staff in charge receives instructions on the task to be carried out, obedience being its main characteristic.

This style It supposes an authoritarian direction, in which the principle to be followed by the manager is performance, but without being at all interested in interpersonal relationships, since they can disturb the smooth running of work.

Subjects are only means to achieve an end, human relationships are based on authority and obedience. It would be related to an attitude towards people at work characteristic of Theory X.

4. Style 5.5: Balanced

In the middle of the mesh is the “balanced style”. Managers who apply this style believe that the needs of people and organizations are in conflict, and therefore it is difficult to satisfy both.

They believe that the best thing to do is find an acceptable balance between worker needs and production goals of the organization. Ideal performance is achieved by maintaining employee morale at a level sufficient to get an adequate amount of work done.

5. Style 9.9: Team

Finally, in the upper right corner of the mesh is the “team style”, which It is characterized by maximum concern regarding results as well as human relationships..

In this direction, both interests in productivity and interests in the motives of workers are considered. subjects involved in it, contains a high degree of compatibility between the objectives of the employees and the organization.

Among the five styles of Blake and Mouton's steering grid, this one turns out to be the ideal.

Bibliographic references:

• Blake, R.; Mouton, J. (1985). The Managerial Grid III: The Key to Leadership Excellence. Houston: Gulf Publishing Co.
• McKee, R.; Carlson, B. (1999). The Power to Change. Austin, Texas: Grid International Inc.